Communicable Disease

Responsibilities

Communicable Disease staff are responsible for monitoring infectious diseases in Graham County, and working to prevent their spread. Staff members investigate communicable diseases that infect county residents and pose a potential threat to the public's health.

Reportable diseases, the diseases that are routinely monitored and followed up on by the Health Department, usually present a threat to the public's health, and must be quickly contained.

The Health Department routinely follows up on any reported cases of more than 60 communicable diseases, and works to ensure the patients and anyone who may have been exposed to the diseases receive proper treatment and to prevent the further spread of the disease in the community.

North Carolina General Statute: §130A-135

A physician licensed to practice medicine who has reason to suspect that a person about whom the physician has been consulted professionally has a communicable disease or communicable condition declared by the Commission to be reported, shall report information required by the Commission to the local health director of the county or district in which the physician is consulted.